Here is a pic of my old ones

 

The new ones I put on were a little loose so I used a deep socket and a piece of carpet to protect the paint and taped with a rubber mallet I then used 3m panel adhesive on the round clips at the back side

 

Bill, you are correct about 3M 4200. I use this product also with very good results. I have huge gaps in my panel truck where the cargo floor meets the body from just behind the seats extending back to the wheel wells. I'm going to use a fiber board type material held in place with 3M 5200 to seal up these openings. A reciprocating saw could probably do the job if this repair ever needed to be removed. Were I to use 5200 to attach my letters, I think they could be removed with a heat gun.

Jim

 

Now that looks like I'd expect Ford to do it! If I ever pull mine I think I'll try something like that, maybe with urethane (belt AND suspenders)!

 

Here is a 3M product that I use, mostly for later model cars, but it would work nicely on your F1 letters and there would be no need to install speednuts to hole them in place.

 

Looks good. How does it do in car washes Charlie? Is there a cure time?

 

The adhesive is not water soluble and heat does not affect it so the car wash is not an issue. The adhesive is similar to the glue that they use on food items that are packaged in bulk, ie, Reddi-Whip cans in a 3-pack like we buy at Costco. The adhesive bonds like crazy but once the bond is broken it becomes more like rubber than glue. There is no cure time, once it is applied you are done. The emblems can be removed at a later date without damage to the paint but the adhesive needs to be reapplied if the letters/emblems are to be reused. I was a little skeptical when I first saw this product advertised but now that I have used it on multiple occasions I am a believer. A little pricey but most things are that work this well.
As an added note...if I were going to use this adhesive on F1 letters I would add some filler to the back of the letters to give the adhesive more surface area to bond to.

 

The problem with emblems is that the car wash brushes try to get behind the emblem and pull it off. Being a 3M product they probably have done lots of testing. Looks like a good tip. Thanks.

 

Today was finally the day for putting my FORD letters back on. I purchased the 3M Press-in-Place emblem adhesive. I watched the video, read reviews, and was expecting a "wonderful" experience. It wasn't! Actually it was a major fail!! So typical of what often happens when I do things on my truck.

As suggested, I did some filling on the back of the letters to increase the bonding surface. I used Pro Glass, a fiberglass reinforced body filler. What I discovered, is that the 3M adhesive did not stick to the filler at all, and the edges of the letters did not provide nearly enough surface area for the letters to bond to the body panel. Complicating matters is the fact that the upper valence, where the letters attach, has a little curve to it.

Bottom line--It is my opinion that 3M Press-in-Place Emblem Adhesive will only work as advertised on a perfectly flat panel with a decal with plenty of surface area. Our rigid individual FORD letters that attach to the upper valance do not meet any of the criteria needed for success with this product.

I ended up using 3M 5200. I didn't have any 4200 handy. My letters are very solidly attached with no movement at all. Removal may not be so easy, but they won't be vibrating and damaging the paint.

Jim